Supercharging Your MS Diet With Kale

3rd November 2012

Kale has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, but has almost become a forgotten vegetable. The average person has never heard about it, and its hardly noticed at the supermarket. Yet, it is one of natures finest nutrientstorehouses available to man. Along with broccoli, kale packs one of the biggest nutrient punches per portion. And that means it’s great for MS’ers and your MS diet!

What makes it so versatile is its ability to blend into a variety of dishes (side dishes, combined in main dishes, or in salads). The curly leafed vegetable is getting a lot more attention recently, and so it should.

Kale Origins

Kale descends from the wild cabbage which originated in Asia. Kale (also called borecole or “farmers cabbage“) is thought to have been introduced to Europe by the Celtics where it remained a staple. Kale belongs to the Brassica family, a group that also includes cabbage, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. It was an important food item early in European history and a crop staple in ancient Rome times. Kale was eventually introduced to the USA during the 17th century by early English settlers. Unfortunately, we typically see kale used as decoration or garnishes for side dishes and salad bars, and is not common place as it should be, given how much nutrient value it provides.

Kale Availability

Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy, yet slightly bitter flavor. The ideal season for kale is between mid winter and early spring where it appears most in produce sections of local grocery stores, but is usually available all year round. It is grown mainly for autumn and winter harvest because the cool weather further enhances taste quality. It can’t withstand temperatures above 80 degreed Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), however, it can be pushed to low temperatures, even down to 21 degrees Fahrenheit (- 6 degrees Celsius), making it ideal for cooler climates.

Exposure of the kale crop to a bit of light frost is actually a good thing. This helps some of the starches turn into sugars. Kale flourishes well in rich organic soil (as most vegetables do). Its succulent, curly leaves appear “rosette” like and may have dark green to blue-green color depending on the cultivar type.

While harvesting, individual lower leaves may be picked either progressively as the main stem elongates or the whole plant is cut at the stem and packed in bundles. Kale leaves are harvested in bunches. Kale can easily be cultivated successfully on the balcony, in pots and in the shade. Kale should be displayed and stored in a cool environment since warm temperatures will cause it to wilt and will negatively affect its flavor.

Shopping For Kale

When shopping, buy fresh green leaves featuring crispy, crunchy, brilliant darkblue-green color where possible. Look for kale with firm, deeplycolored, unwilted leaves free from yellowing, browning and any small holes from pests. The stems should be moist and rigid. Pick kale with smallerleaves as these will be more tender and have a more mild flavor.

Kale is extremely perishable and should be used quickly once harvested – you want to get as many of the nutrients into your body as possible from the time it comes out of the ground. To store Kale, place it in a plastic storage bags, after removing as much of the air from the bag as possible. Store in the refrigerator where it will keep for 5 days. The longer it is stored, the more bitter its flavor becomes. Do not wash kale before storing as that will speed up spoilage.

You can also freeze kale, for short periods, but some have suggested blanching to extend its life in the freezer, which I am not too keen on as you need to briefly submerge the kale in boiling water and then plunge them into ice water – this destroys the enzymes that cause it to loose its green color, but will help to preserve its taste for up to 8 months.

Types Of Kale

Types of kale are differentiated by color (green, white, purple, or bluish green) and also leaf shape. One of the most common types of kale found in domestic grocery stores, Curly kale is sweet and mild (main image).

Some of the important varieties grown around the globe are Red Russian, Blue curled, Winterbor, Tuscan and Kamome kale.

Tuscan kale, also known as cavalo nero, is a popular winter season greens in the Northern parts of Italy. It features distinctive very long, curly, blue-green leaves with embossed surface resembling dinosaur skin, giving rise to its more common name as “dinosaur kale“.

One of the many types of “flowering” kale, Kamome is an ornamental kale prized for its appearance (image on right). It has large blossoming leaves, with quite a distinct purple colour. Although edible, these species are often more bitter tasting than other varieties.

Why Kale Is Ideal For Your MS Diet

There are a lot of nutrients packed into every gram of kale. The following chart shows just how much. The percentage “daily value” [US Food and Drug Administration recommended daily nutrient intake] for kale not only shows a large number of different nutrients, but the high percentages you can get from only one cup of kale:

(click image for larger version)

If this is not convincing enough, here are a few facts on kale’s powerhouse nutritional benefits to help motivate you on your quest to add kale to your MS diet, here are some reasons to consider:

MS Specific Benefits

Kale is overflowing with vitamins A, C, and K and has a good amount of vitamin E and magnesium, all of which are key nutrients to a healthy MS diet

It also contains some Omega 3 and Omega 6, which are also key nutrients to treat MS

Kale is rich in chlorophyll which helps remove toxins and calm the immune system

Kale also contains a host of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonols, such as quercetin, which will help prevent immune attacks on your nervous system

Kale’s fibre supports a healthy digestive tract to help reduce inflammation in the gut

Kale has a good amount of sulfur-based glucosinolates, supporting natural detoxification pathways in the liver, reducing the need for an immune response on rouge particles

Di-indolyl-methane (DIM) found in kale is a effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent – all reducing the load on the immune system

Naturally rich in sulfur content, kale helps boost the body’s detoxification enzymes, clearing carcinogenic substances in a relatively timely manner, which again helps strengthen the immune and keep it in a calmer state

Kale’s folate and B6 combine to keep homocysteine levels down, which may help in preventing memory loss [as well as cardiovascular problems]

General Benefits

Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more Lutein [Lutein is a yellow or orange pigment found in some fruits and vegetables that may help to protect your vision], and also has zeaxathin which all help prevent damage to eyes

Kale provides a dietary source of alpha-lipoic acid, which helps regenerate other anti-oxidants like vitamin C and Glutathione

Kale, like other members of the brassica family, contains health-promoting phytochemicals, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol that are appears to protect against prostate and colon cancers

Kale is notably good in many B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vit.B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body

Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells

Kale is rich in calcium, potassium, copper, sodium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Potassium helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzymes. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation. Calcium for which is one of the many factors that may help prevent osteoporosis.

Kale Preparation And Serving Tips

Kale is quite unique in its taste, and there are some excellents methods to get the most out the taste – if you are considering adding Kale to you MS diet consistently, these will sure to come in handy:

Kale should be washed thoroughly in clean running water in order to remove soil, dirt and any pesticide residues.

Just before cooking, remove tough stems, and trash wilted leaves from healthy ones.

To reduce kale bitterness, either steam kale (image on the right) for 30 seconds or marinate in lime juice (or vinegar) and sea salt for at least 30 minutes (you can even extend this overnight if you like).

Mix kale with other leafy greens in salads – it will blend nicely and add a unique flavour to the dish. Fresh young crispy kale goes well with fresh ginger [which helps reduce bitterness and add a little spice to the salad].

Mature leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sautéed – you can try a sautéed side dish of kale, onions, and garlic drizzled in olive oil. Tuscan kale leaves are popular winter staples in all over Mediterranean, and are known to be used in soups, stews, salads, pasta and even pizza!

Juice as much kale as you can. The natural liquid vitamin content from kale is priceless to your body – its one of nature’s best liquid vitamin drinks.

Kale chips (image below right) are a nutritious, easy-to-make snack – I’ll do more kale chips recipes, but just to give you an idea of how they are made – all you need to do is simply remove kale leaves from their stems, break kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and add dash of salt, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a 400°F ( 200°C) oven and then drizzle with olive oil!

Kale is gaining attention amongst dieticians and other health care professionals due to its natural and nutrient rich content. It has become a key soldier in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis, and should almost be seen as one of the MS supplements!

Now, remember to rotate through different greens, such as kale, spinach, lettuce, beet greens, mustard greens, and parsley so that you don’t eat just one kind of green.

I’ll be doing some more MS healing foods again soon! Please drop me a comment below if you would like me to cover any specific MS healing foods!

35 comments

Excellent report on Kale and all it brings to our health! Cook it, eat it raw, juice it…you will see a difference. Thank you Kim for this wonderful resource on food as medicine. Here’s to Thriving with MS!

I’ve seen kale in the grocery store and wondered what it tasted like or what to do with it but never researched the idea further. Now I wish I would have! It always looks so green and healthy – and it is! Good to know. I’ll give this nutritious vegetable a try.

My neice was recently diagnosed with advanced MS… We bought her a juicer and found an MS-recipe: kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, green apple, lemon & grapes. It is surprising tasty and my neice says she feels the difference in her energy and well-being in the few weeks we have been ‘juicers’. A friend reported that she heard on a juicing show that kale should not be used more than 3 days a week. Is this correct?

So fantastic that you are so involved in your niece’s recovery. Juicers are a must with ms diet. Such an effective way of getting maximum nutrients into your body.

The only thing I know about Kale is that it contains oxalates, naturally occurring substances that can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Avoid eating calcium-rich foods like dairy at the same time as kale to prevent any problems. I don’t think that this will be a big problem if she has cut out all dairy products, which I highly recommend.

Hi Kim
This is really interesting. I’ve been eating vast amounts of kale for a few years now as I had read about the health benefits of it, but your blog is really informative and you’ve written it really well… thank you! It’s been a good reminder of why it’s so important.
I alternate between kale and spinach in the green smoothie I have for breakfast, and I also make kale crisps in the dehydrator.
Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Kate

Hi Kate, thanks so much for the comment. I really appreciate all positive feedback. Really glad to hear you are a kale veteran! Yes, alternating with other leafy greens is highly recommended, sounds like you have a wonderfully healthy breakfast! I’m looking at getting a dehydrator myself, how long does that process normally take? Kim

Hi Kim
In the dehydrator it takes about 2 hours, but I leave them in overnight to get them really crispy.
The dehydrator keeps them raw, so it’s possible to put the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and salt on first. What is also delicious is a half teaspoon of wasabi powder!
I find it really hard to get my 4year old to eat kale so these crisps are perfect for him.. without the wasabi that is!
Kate

Hi Kim, love Kale and definitely feel the benefits, lovely with salmon. I tend to boil and simmer for a few minutes. Am I doing the wrong thing? I usually throw out the water once drained – perhaps I should be drinking it as maybe I am throwing out all the good nutrients? Thanks for your help. Stay well Anna x

Hi Anna, sorry, must have missed your comment til now! If possible, try steam kale rather, this will retain more nutrients. You can also try baking it, but that doesn’t taste as good. Thank you for your comment!

I put raw kale in my morning smoothies. They are delicious, I also put at least half a beet in. Once everything is blended with fruit, yogurt and juice, even people who “hate” those ingredients can’t tell that they’re in the smoothie. I love my vita-mix because I can get a quick healthy breakfast.

Very happy to hear that Simone! I have a Philips Avance HR1871 Whole Fruit Juicer and I love it. Find one that takes whole fruit, is easy to clean and makes the pulp very dry. Thank you very much for the kind words!

Hi Carmen! You are so welcome. I am so glad you are enjoying the site. Yes, Kale is such an amazingly nutritious vegetable. We are so blessed to have it. I love juicing it! Hope you are doing well! Kim

Kim: should I remove the stems from kale or are they edible and just as valuable?

Haven’t been diagnosed yet: going to Mayo’s end of July but MRI shows leisons and suspicous. I do have many of the S&S so assuming I do have MS, In fact I have been following the diet fairly well and I do feel better in just 2 wks.

Glad it is helping Jill! This must be a difficult time for you, not knowing whether you have MS or not. You have a very positive outlook though. I use the stems and leaves from kale. Let me know what happens. Keep up the good work with the right food!

I am nervous about putting leafy greens like kale and spinach in my smoothies because of the negative effects on thyroid and potential kidney stones that I have been reading about. How much is too much?

Hi Melissa! Thanks for your comment. I have heard that Dr. Wahls eats three cut of green vegetables a day so if you put a cup of greens in your smoothie in the morning you should be fine. I haven’t heard of this occurrence, I must say. For me, the more the better but too much of a good thing can also be bad. Listen to your body, it will tell you how much you can handle.

In response to the concern about kale and spinach affecting the thyroid. Cruciferous vegetables such as dark leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, collards, soy etc. do have the ability to act as goitrogens – naturally occurring substances found in various foods that disrupt normal thyroid function by inhibiting the body’s ability to use iodine. That being said, this is usually only a problem is someone already has an impaired thyroid gland. These foods are not the underlying cause of thyroid issues and have so many health benefits that they are best included in the diet. It is a good idea however, to have a good balance of these foods both cooked and raw. Cooking these foods inactivates some of the goitrogenic activity.

Thanks for this info! I think it has really helped to clear up any confusion and put some minds at ease. Yes, I agree that it is best to have a combination of cooked and raw. We all really appreciate your expertise!

I was diagnosed nine years ago at the age of 27. I am currently following an almost raw diet and just tried kale for the first time today! Look forward to finding more recipes and support through your website! Thanks! Please feel free to follow me on instagram at shawnahamlett. Love that we can all support each other!

Hi Shawna! Thanks for your lovely comment. Glad that you have tried Kale. It is a little chewy at first but can be made to taste so yummy. My favourite is juicing it and dehydrating it. I will try to find you on instagram. It is great to know that we are not alone!

Hi Kim,
I was recently diagnosed as having lesions on my spine in both my back and neck but not the brain. I am still working to get a grip on what all this will mean for me as I more forward in life. What changes I will need to make and am finding this site loaded will a great deal of information.
My current concern is that both my regular neurologist and the one I went to for a second opinion both are pushing for a spinal tap to be done. I am very nervous about doing this for several reasons; I have 7 discs with issues from herniated, to bulged, to a combination of both and arthritis and really don’t want anyone playing around with my back as I feel the need to protect it all the time. The other reasons include things I have heard like that it is a very painful test for most and it really does not provide any conclusive results as many were told they had negative results and yet still had MS. I find this very dis-concerning when your in search of answers. What is your opinion on the requirements of spinal taps and the significance it has to confirming MS?
I am also hearing a lot about needing to further restrict my diet and this is another issue for I had lapband surgery nearly 7 years ago in an effort to make a healthy change in life and help take pressures off my back from the additional weight I carried. The surgery was a success I went from a 320 pound women to a 174 pound women in roughly 26 months and currently am at a maintenance weight that fluxes between 182 and 195. I was diabetic and had high blood pressure and now don’t have either issue. I used to catch colds which inevitably turned into asthmatic bronchitis or pneumonia and landed me in the hospital at minimum annually sometimes as much as three times a year and this has not been the case since losing the weight as well … so life has improved incredibly by doing the surgery.
However; now it turns out what was thought to be neuropathy from the weight and sugar as well as from the disc issues may have been MS all along but just never showed the lesions until now.
I speak of the surgery as it limits my diet already as I never really got back to full solid foods and been doing things like a vitamin protein supplement drink daily made from soy proteins as one of my meals and soups (typically creamed like mushroom, potato, chicken, shrimp bisque and such as another of my meals and if it is a good day a few crackers with a cheese spread as a snack. I am also regimented in the taken of 2 multivitamins daily and 2 calcium tabs daily (chewable forms) and at the doctors request recently (within the last 2 weeks) added 2 omega 3-6-9 tabs daily and a 5000 IU vitamin d3 daily. I was also taken b1, b6, b12, and b-complex vitamins daily to minimize the use of drug therapy (lyrica) for pain from back and mostly works but if do to much need at least 1 pill in the evenings and to add Tylenol 500 mg during the day. I am not one who like having to take so many things and I have a tendency to forget or lose track when it gets to be too much.
It is all overwhelming to say the least but I am so wanting to not have to do any drugs if I read correctly as you don’t and are doing fine without them. I need direction and you seem to be the person who can provide it at least some guidance for getting to a healthy place with as little added drugs as possible obviously dependent on my personal condition. What works for one don’t always work for all and I do realize that but if there is a chance I would rather go for it then not at least try.
Looking forward to being a part of your support group and learning how to live with MS now that it is here and part of my life.
Hope this finds you well.
Regards
Marie

Thanks for getting in touch! It sounds like you are in a frustrated and overwhelmed place at the moment. Firstly I will say that you know what is right for your body and you don’t need to go down any route that you are not comfortable with. In your case, I wouldn’t do the spinal tap. If there are lesions, this should be proof enough that you have MS. I was never given one and the Neuro diagnosed me from the MRI. It sounds like it could cause you undue stress which will not be good for your MS.
Well done on losing the weight. I’m glad that it has resulted in vastly improved health. Your current diet definitely needs some adjustment. It is important to cut out dairy, gluten and anything refined and processed. Soy is also not the best as it imbalances our hormones which leads to symptoms. Can you find a non-soy, non-dairy alternative. Something with coconut or almond milk in it? It would be awesome if you could make yourself smoothies with fruit, nuts, spinach and other natural ingredients. This will really give you the energy boost you need. You are taking some good supplements but I would also recommend that you add flaxseed oil to the mix. I would recommend that you read the ms diet page and then perhaps email me and we can chat about your food changes. Chat to you soon! Kim

Kim,
I thought soy based proteins were better then whey proteins. You see for the lapband I am required to maintain a high protein diet plan and since I really do not consume a great deal of solids one way I was doing the proteins was to have a Secure protein smoothie. What I do is use coconut water, frozen fruit, sometimes nuts like walnut or pistachio, occasional coconut, a load of ice and a scoop of the protein powder. The protein powder is ordered through a company called procaps labs which is a vitamin company that I also use to get my vitamins from. They are solar run company, organic minded in sources, and I have found the strength of the vitamins more powerful then your typical over the counter versions. He make both a whey and a soy based powder for meal replacement called secure which is what I use to get in my proteins. I make a smoothie and to keep the smoothie a little creamier I add low fat creamer usually approx. one shot worth French vanilla or coconut crème. I then freeze it and put it in my cooler for work and that is what I have each day as my lunch. I would sometimes add some activa yogurt which I stopped since it is not good for the ms. Please check out the labs product and advise if you really feel stopping the plan is important to following the MS diet. If so I will need to make an alternate plan for this portion. I already changed my coffee in the morning to peppermint tea and my evening cup in the evenings with my parents to a berry zinger tea. Both decaf herbal teas. I am considering taken cruciferous extracts which includes broccoli and kale in a supplement to make sure to get the nutrient they are known for. I do currently have organic oatmeal I was using for my breakfast with a sprinkle of approx 1-2 tbsp. of superfoods in it. I have flaxseed, sunflower seed, and pumpkin seeds which I sometimes mix and have as a snack so it is good to learn this is good to keep up doing. I did take some of your recipes from the site and I typically shop on the weekends so I plan to pickup ingredients to try a few that looked good. I am a big fan of soups and have been experimenting with different soups every cold season so I will try those definitely. I am famous with the family for my creamed soups to get the kids to eat more vegetables and given the new restriction for dairy what would you suggest trying to pickup that side of the recipe? I do things like a loaded potato soup which has cream, potato, rutabagas, leek, bacon chips, and sour cream. I do a tomato that has tomato, cream, basil, veggie broth, and spices. I do a creamed broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot which includes some veggie broth, spices and cream. I do a beef barley and an old fashion chicken (well I did do these but of all these are the worse from what I read so far). I love salmon too so I can find a bunch of ways to do the salmon with asparagus or try your salmon pumpkin pasta so this one is cool. Oh one more thing I assume mayo is out too so can you advise a good way to make tuna without it. I could use that with gluten free crackers on side of salad or soup dish to add the protein and round out the veggie dish.
Thanks I think what you do is a great thing and wish you all the best. Our few notes has already taken so much pressure off the new news of the MS. I am grateful to you.